Sahrc Zambia Research Desk

 

A Cry from the Soil: The Untold Struggles of Mansa’s Rural Communities

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​In the heart of Mansa District, deep in the rural villages where the rhythm of life depends on the land, the signs of suffering are growing louder each season.

Meet Mama Loveness, a 52-year-old widow and small-scale farmer in one of the remote villages of Mansa. For years, she has relied on her small field to feed her five grandchildren. But today, the once-fertile soil is dry and cracked. The rains that used to come in November now delay until January and when they do come, they are either too little or too much, washing away her seeds or drowning her young crops.

"I have never seen it like this before," she says with tears in her eyes. "We plant, and we pray. But hunger is always near now."

Like Mama Loveness, thousands of families in Mansa’s rural areas are bearing the brunt of climate change but their struggles remain largely invisible. Their crops fail, their water sources dry up, and children walk long distances to find food or fetch water. Climate change is not just an environmental issue here; it is a human crisis. It is hunger. It is lost hope. It is children missing school. It is sickness from unsafe water. It is despair.

And yet, support for these communities remains minimal. Funding is scarce. Infrastructure is weak. And there is a lack of coordinated, collective efforts to reach those suffering the most. Despite their resilience and strength, rural communities like those in Mansa cannot fight this crisis alone.

Sahrc Zambia is working tirelessly to respond through community education, tree planting, sustainable farming training, and climate justice advocacy. But we cannot do it alone.

We are calling on partners, donors, and organizations—both local and international to come and stand with us. Come to Mansa. Come and see. Work with us. Help us restore hope where it’s fading. Together, we can build climate-resilient communities and ensure that voices like Mama Loveness’s are not only heard but empowered.

Let us turn this cry into action.

Contact Sahrc Zambia today to join hands in this urgent mission.

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A Story from the Ground: Hope Amid the Climate Crisis

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In the rural outskirts of Kabwe District, 14-year-old Luyando walks nearly five kilometers each morning to fetch water for her family. The once-reliable stream near her home dried up months ago due to erratic weather patterns and deforestation in the area. Her school attendance has become irregular, not because she lacks interest, but because climate change has changed her childhood.

Her parents, small-scale farmers, have watched their maize yields drop drastically. The soil is no longer fertile, and the rains when they come are either too much or not enough. With food becoming scarce, and no consistent support reaching their community, every day becomes a battle for survival.

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But there is still hope.

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Sahrc Zambia has been working to restore that hope by planting trees, training farmers in climate-smart agriculture, and educating communities like Luyando’s about how to protect and adapt to their changing environment. Yet, the challenges remain immense. Many communities are still without access to vital information, basic resources, or platforms to voice their struggles.

We cannot do it alone.

Sahrc Zambia warmly invites local and international organizations, donors, and partners to join us in this journey. By working together, we can scale up efforts to build resilient communities, protect the environment, and give children like Luyando a fair chance at a safe, healthy future.

Let’s turn stories of struggle into stories of change.

Partner with us. Work with us. Stand with the vulnerable.

 

 

 

 

Sahrc Zambia Research Reveals Gaps in Climate Change Awareness in Kabwe’s Rural Communities

Through its dedicated Research and Policy Department, Shelter for Agriculture, Human Rights, and Climate (Sahrc) Zambia has uncovered a significant information gap among rural communities in Kabwe District regarding climate change and mitigation efforts. Findings from a recent survey indicate that over 40% of community members in rural parts of Kabwe lack adequate knowledge and understanding of climate change, its impacts, and sustainable mitigation practices.

Despite this lack of information, many individuals are unknowingly engaged in practices that contribute to environmental degradation and worsen the effects of climate change. These include unsustainable farming methods, indiscriminate cutting of trees for charcoal, open burning of waste, and poor land management. Such practices not only threaten local ecosystems but also increase vulnerability to climate-related hazards such as droughts, floods, and food insecurity.

The research also highlights that limited access to climate education, low literacy levels, and inadequate community outreach are among the key factors contributing to this information gap. Most climate change awareness efforts tend to be urban-centered, leaving rural communities behind in national and global environmental efforts.

In response to these findings, Sahrc Zambia is scaling up its climate justice and education programs in Kabwe, focusing on grassroots engagement, participatory community workshops, and integration of climate knowledge into local schools and farmer groups. The organization aims to bridge this knowledge gap by promoting inclusive, locally relevant, and action-oriented climate education that empowers rural communities to adopt sustainable practices and become proactive agents of change.

Sahrc Zambia remains committed to ensuring that no community is left behind in the fight against climate change and continues to advocate for people-centered climate solutions that reflect the voices and realities of the most vulnerable.